Rays are the new monsters of baseball

As dispiriting as the Rays' sweep of the Sox was, it's hard not to remember that there's a lot of baseball left, and that Tampa Bay, even with its talented staff of emerging young pitchers, might be playing a bit over its head.

For most of the season, the Sox have looked very balanced and very strong, and this is their first real rough patch of the year.

Yet if the 2008 campaign were to end today, does anyone think that Boston would extend the contracts of Manny Ramirez and Jason Varitek? I have a lot of affection for each player, but their weak performance of late highlights their advancing age.

And the sooner that Jed Lowrie replaces Julio Lugo, the better.